It was raining on Big City. In the wide deserted streets, apart from a few wandering AIs, only modern drones circulated, on the lookout for strayed citizens.
It was night, whatever the hour. Between two blocks, in a narrow alley, Lucky wrapped himself in a coat to keep out the cold, something he had never really known.
Euyin, his hat dripping with rain, approached. Under the miserable shelter of a garbage room, he set fire to a few scraps. They stretched out their hands to warm themselves, but by the magic of the After's lines of code, the flames were barely at room temperature. They had wrecked everything.
- "Why did Big City turn into crap, Eye?" asked Lucky, his hands trembling. "And why is there no one? Where is everybody?"
Euyin, with the nose of a Persian king and bronzed skin, trench coat and cliché twentieth-century detective's hat, answered in a deep voice and with a shining eye.
- "You're not up to date with current events, are you. The new head of HS, the Aleph, he requisitioned the departed. They have to pilot drones, living creatures, to conquer worlds. When you've filled your quota, you can come back here. But they've made this world uncomfortable. It's autumn on all the sanctuary islands and everything there is gloomy. On Big City, it's a nightmare. The games don't work anymore. Pax is under maintenance. The idea is that we return in their military drones because life is better there.
- Why wasn't I requisitioned, me?
- Because you're the dumbest of idiots, Lucky.
- No, seriously!
- I think it's because you were in an Android. The AIs thought you were outside in a drone, because no one uses Androids. You'd have to be as dumb as you. So you over-fulfilled your contract.
- And you?
- You know… I'm aware of everything, whether in the After or in HS. When they requisitioned me I led an army on a planet. And it worked so well I got the right to come back here.
- What did you do?
- They wanted to wipe out a Xeno planet. I carried out an operation with terrifying brilliance. They dumped three million units on the planet, but they were disorganized. So I put the bite in place. Basically, we line the units up on the equator, that makes a circle, right? Well, then we move up together, meter by meter, toward the poles. Since there's less space, the extra units do the same thing going down. If the enemies flee, we catch up and kill them.
- Did you kill a lot of Xenos?
- Me? No. But yes, they were all killed. It was a genocide. Killed to the last. Old-style, just like when humans used to kill buffaloes for fun and one day there wasn't a single one left."
Seeing Lucky's puzzled face, he added:
- "A buffalo is like a wild cow. A beast that was on Mythical Earth.
- Why does Aleph do this?
- I heard your Huan was ugly too, wasn't he?"
Lucky didn't answer. He was trembling, partly from fear, partly from cold.
- "The Xenos killed form an exploitable mass they can use to make more units.
- I'll tell you something, old Euyin. HS promises housing, the After, and I don't know what other crap…
- Food…
- Yeah! Food, when there's room and some left over… when the restaurants aren't full, but you see, I'm a poor fool born in HS and I've only seen misfortune my whole life. I regret having killed guys, cross my heart…
- Since Pax?
- Yeah, fuck. But you see, nobody's ever given a damn about me, ever… why should I treat people any differently? Why should I care about buffaloes?
- And now, what are you going to do, Lucky?
- I don't know a damn thing, and you?
- Me, I'm going to lead other armies. That'll keep me from catching a cold here.
- You know one day someone told me I would lead real armies? Trillions of soldiers, to save the world. That it was my destiny.
- Oh, I can picture the scene. A Xeno Child of Transient, begging you for a thaler in some dive bar in Lennox.
- An Owl of Booz."
Euyin's bright eye narrowed under a raised brow. He knew what that meant.
- "Yes… I heard that Lucky, Lord of the Far Throne, had mingled with those mysterious Xenos. So maybe your destiny is in the army, like me. As if we could do anything else. But I tell you, buddy: I don't believe we're saving humanity. We're rather condemning it. Sooner or later, the Blind Gods or some lurking powers in the universe will see humanity's conquering advance and decide to reset the counters. And it will be hard to blame them.
- I'm looking for a girl. She's part of the vision, I don't know why.
- Ah, finding someone. That's my specialty. Her name?
- I thought we were supposed to pay you for that kind of job.
- It'll take my mind off things. And besides, I'm talking to the future general of an army that numbers in trillions. So, her name?
- Cassandra.
- That's all? You realize that's not much of a lead.
- She's the sister, or the clone, or maybe an alias, of a certain Stella Nori.
- Stella, the winner of Trust?
- The game wasn't officially won for real. That bitch was in front of the throne and, damn, she didn't even sit on it! But yeah, that's her."
Euyin suddenly burst into laughter, and his laughter went on, the only warmth in this cold world. He wanted to explain but he was still laughing, and tears began to run from his eyes.
- "Euyin, if you're making fun of me, I'll beat you up and even your Sanctuary Island won't want you anymore.
- No… I met Stella Nori. And she told me… he was still laughing… she told me that if anyone ever wanted to know more about her, I should run away because… he would be a threat to my life! And that was you? Incredible!
- Oh, she was damn right! I'm a real threat, buddy!
- Oh yes, Lucky, threat number one of the After… well… Stella Nori is a Wau, according to rumors. A Wau who managed to penetrate the After and come out again. I didn't think that was possible. Yes, I'm laughing because I'm imagining that maybe she'll recruit you and you'll become a Wau.
- The Waus are a bunch of assholes if you ask me. I met one who could have wrung Huan's neck, but no, he bowed to him. Protector of humanity, my ass.
- If Cassandra is a Wau, you'll have to get out of here, old man.
- And investigate as an Android?
- The Androids are finished, Lucky. They're all locked down. The only way, or almost, to get out of here is the army. But I imagine if you look like a murderous horror you won't stand much chance of seducing your Cassandra. What's more, once you're outside, well… you'll have to investigate. But now that I'm talking to you, I've got a super cool idea. A friend asked me a favor. And I think you two could help each other. He could let you get out, and investigate. Of course, there's a catch…- A payment?"
Euyin was staring into the dancing flames. He wasn't cold, not him. But neither did he have inside him the fire of Lucky's fanciful youth. Without having lived his life of misfortune, something long ago had broken in his heart.
- "No. I think I'm going to be free of charge from now on. My friend in question works at Big City University. An old-school programmer, you see what I mean? Not the guys who suggest software ideas to LEs, guys who type on keyboards to write sentences, which are instructions for computers. He programs beneath the LEs. He could program LEs. With enough time, he could write any computer thing, LE or not.
- Fuck, I've heard about that. Medieval stuff. I get tired just thinking about it. He might as well carve his sentences with a chisel into marble. No, you know what? He should write his fucking stupid sentences by digging big trenches with a shovel and the LEs would look at them from the sky.
- I'm trying to help you, you know, Lucky.
- OK, this guy can look for where Cassandra is?
- No. But he can do something insane. Something insane with a catch that will sting. But I've been told you're tough, Lucky, right?"